The Architecture of Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access calls anything that can have a name an object. Within an Access database, the main objects are tables, queries, forms, reports, data access pages, macros, and modules.

If you have worked with other database systems on desktop computers, you might have seen the term database used to refer to only those files in which you store data. In Access, however, a desktop database file, which uses the .mdb file extension, also includes all the major objects related to the stored data, including objects you define to automate the use of your data. You can also create an Access application using a project file (with the .adp file extension) that contains the objects that define your application linked to an SQL Server database that stores the tables and queries. Here is a summary of the major objects in an Access database: